Despite the widely held goal of increasing diversity in policing, police organizations have struggled to diversify. Previous research highlights the role of civilian involvement in the process by illustrating the impact of mayors and city councils on diversity in police departments. This scholarship has overlooked the important role of municipal civil service commissions, which oversee public personnel policies and set hiring standards. Research has demonstrated that some of these hiring standards disproportionately impact minority applicants. As a result, civil service commissions may be a missing link in understanding how civilian oversight can promote or impede diversification in policing. This article presents an introduction to civil service commissions and processes and illustrates their potential impact on diversity in policing. Areas for future research are discussed.
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